Survival of the Fittest
by alphamikefoxtrot15
Summary: The A-Team are used to fighting off bad guys and the military, but what happens when everyone becomes the bad guy and no where is safe? Zombie/Infected AU.
1. Chapter 1, Kate Pearse

**A/N: I hope to make this into a continuous fiction, and any reviews you can give are much appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read this - it means a lot! **

Disclaimer: I don't own the A-Team.

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Chapter 1: Kate Pearse.

_Thursday July 10th, 1986. Patton Village, Texas. _

"This is strange, Colonel," Murdock said immediately as Hannibal climbed back into the passenger seat of the van, not looking happy at all.

"Yeah," agreed Face, "the case doesn't even make any sense. A girl whose brother left a note saying he'd gone away on vacation with his friends doesn't mean that he's been kidnapped, or that he's gone missing."

"That's not the only thing that's strange," Hannibal finally said with a grim expression on his face, "Miss Pearse didn't show up."

A silence fell amongst the boys as the stared at their commanding officer. It wasn't often that a client that seemed so desperate in the beginning didn't show up, especially after going through meeting all of Hannibal's alias' to check if they're legitimate. Usually, if they wanted to find somebody, or they really needed a job doing, they'd go to almost any extent to get the help from the A Team.

"She was either wasting our time or she found her brother," Face shrugged as B.A. started up the van's engine so they could get out of there, "but it doesn't make sense that she paid the deposit we asked her for."

It wasn't the first time somebody had messed the team around but Hannibal felt like this time was different. Although they didn't really buy the case, Kate Pearse had seemed desperate to find her brother. She said it wasn't like him to just make spontaneous trips out with his friends like he had. She'd gone on to explain that her brother, Michael, was very shy and didn't have that many friends. It explained why the spontaneous trip making didn't make sense. After much debating the team had decided to take the case and go to the town where her and her brother lived. They received the deposit of $1,000 that they'd asked for and she hadn't showed up. She couldn't have just been wasting time. Not many people had a grand to just throw away.

Hannibal sighed as he looked out of the window and pulled a cigar from the front pocket of his jacket. He chewed the bottom in thought and finally sighed. Something about this entire thing wasn't quite right and he hated that he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Where to, Hannibal?" B.A. asked with a glance to his right, noting (but choosing not to mention) that the Colonel was in deep thought. He'd have to ask about it later on.

"Take a left up ahead and we can check into a motel for the night. Then we'll go back tomorrow and see if she shows up."

The Sergeant nodded and turned left at the next junction, pulling up neatly into a parking space. Murdock and Face both stretched happily when they were out of the van, glad that they could get some walking time. They'd been sat down for so long waiting for Hannibal to come back to the van that their bums had gone numb and their legs were stiff.

"I dunno about you, but I'm beat," the pilot mumbled with a small yawn that passed onto Face like an infection. The conman smiled and put his arm around his friend, patting his shoulder before walking off in front of him silently, ready to work his magic.

They waited outside until Face was done, and when he came back outside looking confused, it was obvious that something wasn't quite right.

"There was no one at the desk," Face explained, confusion in his voice that was reflected in his features, " I rang the bell a couple times and went round the back and everywhere was empty."

"Maybe they went out for some coffee?" Murdock suggested, his hands in his pockets.

"No…" Hannibal said quietly, the cigar in his hand. He puffed on it slowly as he thought, "nothing makes sense around here. It's too quiet, even for a small town like this. Something's going on around here that we don't know about."

"An over controllin' Sheriff?" The pilot wondered and followed the rest of his team into the motel when Hannibal walked through the door. It was time to do some investigating.

Inside, the motel seemed pretty normal. There was the small reception area and, like Face had said, there was nobody around at all. Behind the desk, a voice was playing on a radio. Hannibal went around and picked it up, listening to the quiet voice.

"..._Most major towns and cities within Texas have been infected with the virus. Doctors currently have no cure and urge people to stay inside…" _Was all the Colonel needed to listen to before setting the radio back down where he found it, turning back to his team.

"Some kind of virus spreading around," He explained to the men, "apparently it's spreading fast so it's best if we stay here and store as much food as we can to last until it dies down. We don't want to get sick. Face, grab a set of keys and get us a room, Murdock you stay with him just in case anything happens. B.A. you and I will go and get some supplies and we'll meet back here in an hour."

The Colonel checked his watch for the time and walked back out of the motel door, B.A. close behind him. Murdock turned to Face, who was looking through a drawer for keys.

"I'll go see if any of the rooms are open already, just in case ya can't find any keys," Murdock said.

"You don't need to do that. If I can't find any keys I'll just pick the lock open," Face replied, not looking up from the drawer but the pilot had already disappeared outside.

The first four motel room doors that he tried were no good. It seemed that nobody was in them either, because there weren't any frustrated lodgers coming to see what the rattling on the doors were. The pilot thought all of this was very odd and the best thing to do would be to get out of town, but he trusted Hannibal's plan. After all, they were hired by somebody, even if she hadn't showed up.

The fifth door Murdock got to opened easily, and there was a shuffle from inside as the door squeaked from the movement.

"Hello?" He said quietly, poking his head around the door, squinting from the darkness. The curtains had been closed and there were no lights on at all, but there was definitely someone (or something) inside. After a moment of hesitation, he stepped inside properly, although he kept the door open so he got some light.

"Who… Who's there?" A woman's voice stuttered, clearly scared of anyone entering.

"It's alright… I'm not gonna hurt ya." Murdock muttered, looking around for the source of the voice, "my name's Murdock. My friends and I were wonderin' where everyone is…"

"Gone," the voice replied shakily, "they're all g-gone…"

He frowned. Gone? Gone where?

"What do you mean?" He asked gently, not wanting to startle her. She was clearly distressed by something.

There was movement again, and the groan from the bed suggested that whoever was in the room had just stood up.

Face still hadn't had much luck at finding keys and he was just about to give up searching when he heard Murdock's voice calling his name. Without a moment's hesitation, the conman darted out of the reception towards where Murdock's voice was still calling for him. He found him in the doorway of number five with a woman who looked very familiar, and very scared.

It was Kate Pearse.


	2. Chapter 2, Infection

**A/N: Here it is! Chapter 2 - I'm sorry it took so long to write! Reviews, as always, would be much appreciated! **

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The two men stared in disbelief at Kate. She looked so different from the professional look she'd worn during their last meeting. Now her short brown hair was lank and greasy, her eyes were wide and fearful with dark circles underneath them. She didn't look like she recognised the men at all, despite her asking them for help only a few days earlier.

Face went to move towards her but she quickly recoiled from his advance, backing up against the adjacent wall.

"Kate…" He started gently, taking another step forwards. Murdock found the light switch and flicked it on but electricity didn't flood the room like they'd expected.

"Don't come near me," she whispered, violently shaking.

"What do you mean? Are you alright?" Murdock said, reaching out his hand towards her. Kate backed herself up against the wall even more.

"Please, don't come any closer."

The two men exchanged glances but didn't move any closer, the little light they had available from the front door showed them Kate's scared features, her shaking body and her sweat covered, pale skin. She didn't look well at all, and one of her hands was behind her back.

"Please, you have to leave." Her voice was laced with fear and it made Face and Murdock grow more and more concerned. There was something not right about all of this.

"Now, Kate, come on, let's not get silly about all of this." Whatever all of this was anyway. Face tried to lure her out with his charm and his words but she refused to budge, constantly telling them to leave. It was then that Murdock noticed her arm was behind her back.

"Kate why is your arm behind your back?" He asked slowly, watching as the woman's eyes darkened quickly. Suddenly, she didn't look so human.

It all happened before they knew what was going on. Murdock was on his back, wrestling the heavy figure on top of him. Kate was no longer backed up against the wall. The pilot was yelling in surprise, trying hard to get himself free from the person that was trying to bite him.

"Face! Do somethin'!" he yelled as the conman stood there in surprise, completely frozen stiff. This wasn't human at all.

"Face!" Murdock yelled again, his hand on Kate's throat to keep her mouth away from him. Blood was dripping from her mouth; her eyes were wild and wide with no indication of anything human left in her. What was going on!

Face moved quickly when Kate's teeth got too close for comfort by Murdock's arm, taking grip of her shoulders and yanking her away from the pilot. Murdock scrambled to his feet and darted out of the room, closely followed by Face who slammed the door shut. Kate didn't give up, throwing herself up against the door to try and get out but the two men held tightly onto the door, keeping it shut.

"What the hell is going on!?" Face exclaimed.

"What are you askin' me for?!" Murdock replied, feeling his grip on the doorknob slacking. Usually holding off against an angry woman would be easily for both of them (they'd done it enough times to know for a fact), but the way Kate was pulling at the door and slamming herself violently against the wood, Face guessed they had a few seconds.

With that in mind, he took a step backwards away from the door and pulled his gun out of his belt.

"Murdock when I say move… Move out of the way."

"What's your plan, Faceguy?"

"Just trust me."

Murdock nodded; he trusted Face more than anything so he prepared himself to run, waiting for the signal. Face took in a deep breath as he focused himself. There was no easy way to go about this, and it had to be done. It was what Hannibal would do.

"Okay, move!" Face yelled and Murdock darted to the side, stumbling backwards as the door came crashing down as Kate threw herself one more time against the wood. The conman swiftly emptied two bullets into her skull and both he and Murdock watched as she dropped to the ground lifeless.

It was silent; the only thing Murdock could hear was their heavy breathing as his ears rang from the gunshot noise. He dared to approach the body on the ground and joined Face's side.

"What just happened?" Face asked and Murdock shook his head.

"I don't know. Whatever it was, it wasn't normal… Even _I _know that wasn't normal."

"What the Hell's going on guys?" Hannibal's voice appeared behind them, B.A.'s van back in the parking spot. The Colonel eyed the boys and then looked at the body at their feet and raised an eyebrow, expecting an immediate answer. Upon closer inspection of the body, Hannibal frowned, his tone unimpressed, "why is our client lying dead on the floor looking like she's just gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson?"

"I didn't do anythin'. It wasn't me. It was Face's idea to shoot her." Murdock put his hands up in defeat as Face gave him an exasperated look before turning to face Hannibal.

"We found her in one of the rooms. It looked like she'd been in there for a while and she was scared of us. She kept telling us to back off and then she just… changed; jumped at Murdock and it looked like she was trying to bite him. The only thing I could think to do was shoot her because she was probably going to kill us." Face explained, folding his arms across his chest.

"Colonel, didn't the guy on the radio say there was an infection goin' around?" Murdock asked.

"You think the infection did this to her?"

"Maybe."

"Well, one thing's for sure; we can't leave her body lying around exposed. B.A. go with Murdock and bury the body. Keep close to each other just in case something else like this springs out. Face, you and I will figure out what's going on around here."

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They hadn't come across another incident for the rest of the day and decided that it was probably best if they all roomed together with two people on watch at the same time. Two people against a… well, whatever it was… was better than one, according to Hannibal.

"Face what do you think that was?" Murdock asked, breaking the silence that'd been lingering uncomfortably for some time.

"Oh I don't know, Murdock. Can we not talk about this?" The last thing Face wanted was to remember what had happened earlier. Shooting a woman straight through the head wasn't on his top ten favourite memories in his lifetime. Kate had been attractive and expressed interest in him during their last meeting. She certainly wasn't as attractive the second time they met each other.

"Do you think it was the infection? Zombies?" The pilot gave his friend a weak smile and Face just rolled his eyes, shifting a little in his position.

Zombies? That seemed a little far-fetched. Zombies didn't exist. They were just stories and they were too overrated in movies and in TV. The likelihood of them appearing in real life was second to none but it did make sense in a strange way. Mentions of an infection spreading on the radio, the frightened look on Kate's face, the way she changed suddenly – heck, it looked like she was going to _eat _Murdock. Yes, it did make sense from a fictional point of view.

"Zombies, Murdock?" Face questioned before sighing heavily.

"I didn't imagine what happened. You said it yourself to Hannibal. Kate changed and we don't know why."

The conman checked his watch and stood up, patting Murdock on the shoulder.

"Zombies is an interesting theory," he said before going back into the hotel room, time to switch with Hannibal and B.A.


	3. Chapter 3, Suspicion

**A/N: Here's chapter 3! Took less time than chapter 2 which is good. I've finished my exams now so updates should be sooner rather than later. THank you so much for all of the reviews so far, they're wonderful. As usual, reviews are welcomed! :)**

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Chapter 3: Suspicion

A week had passed and there was no sign of anybody else; it was like the entire world had just disappeared off the face of the earth. Murdock had told the team this a few times but Hannibal was convinced that somebody… _somewhere _would arrive eventually. The entire population couldn't have just been wiped out in the space of a week. Face and B.A. agreed with their Colonel and continued to dismiss the zombie theory too. The pilot had warned them that he was right and knew that they'd go back on their words sooner or later.

"Colonel, can we go somewhere else now? I'm bored an' there's nothing around here. No one's comin'," Murdock asked as he leant against the wall outside their room, sitting on the floor. Hannibal shot him a look that told him not to bother going there again and the pilot sighed heavily, staring out at the empty road. They'd been doing nothing for an entire week and his over-active mind was beginning to get restless.

"There are still people alive. We heard the guy on the radio, remember?" Face said as he came out of their room dressed in one of his trademark suits. Murdock thought it impractical and had told him this; how was Face going to be able to run away from zombies with his tie flapping about? And what would happen if he got too hot on the run? He couldn't focus on getting away _and _getting rid of his jacket. Plus if he got the suit dirty, Murdock knew Face would complain about it and he wouldn't find an 'I-told-you-so' very helpful in that situation.

Still, the four of them continued to stay where they were – Murdock sitting on the floor, Face standing next to him with his arms folded, Hannibal on the chair that was keeping their room door propped open and B.A. in the van trying to contact his mother again. She hadn't been replying and Murdock feared the worst but didn't raise his concern. That would only start things that didn't need to be started, especially with B.A.

"How's it going, B.A.?" Hannibal asked as B.A. walked around his van and over to the three men. He shook his head and said nothing else on the matter, going into the room. It wasn't like his mom to not answer the phone.

"Maybe she's busy," Face suggested but a glance over his shoulder at the big guy told him that he should stop talking before he said something wrong.

Just as he was about to go back inside, Face caught something moving out of the corner of his eye and turned his attention to the road, his heart jumping in his throat in excitement, stomach squeezing.

"Hey!"

People! People! They actually existed still! He was beginning to doubt what Hannibal was saying but the Colonel was right. Three people were walking down the road looking distressed but as soon as they saw who was shouting, they looked relieved. The woman of the party put her hand over her mouth in disbelief before speaking as they walked over to the team.

"Oh thank God there's someone else out here!" She said, "we've been walking for days taking refuge where we can. We haven't come across anybody else."

"Neither have we," Hannibal said with a smile, looking pleased with himself. "See, Murdock, I told you there were still people out there."

Murdock couldn't have been more pleased to be wrong. He smiled at the three and only received one back. The man standing to the woman's right managed to out-grump B.A., his expression nothing short of stormy, gun in one hand, cigarette in the other. He looked like he hadn't showered in at least a week and he was in desperate need of a shave. Nevertheless, the woman linked her arm in his and stayed close, the younger boy on her other side clinging to her. He looked like he'd been through Hell himself but the woman just looked relieved.

"My name's Liz, this is my boyfriend Narcer and my little brother, Jack." She explained. It sounded like she had no intention of leaving them now she'd found them.

"I'm Hannibal Smith," Hannibal replied with a smile, shaking her hand. He glanced at Narcer who simply blinked at him and said nothing, "this is Templeton Peck, H.M. Murdock and inside's B.A. Baracus."

"It's nice to meet you."

"Your boyfriend here doesn't seem to think so." Murdock observed with his head titled to the side. Now wasn't the time to get snarky but there was something about the other man that put him on edge. Face felt it too. There was definitely something suspicious about him.

"Don't see why we should be friendly when we're not stoppin'," Narcer replied, looking Murdock up and down once and spitting on the floor. Face opened his mouth to speak but Hannibal could sense this was going to turn ugly so he put his hand out to shut him up, speaking instead.

"What's going on around here?" He asked.

"We don't know," Liz replied, "about a week and a half ago they came out of nowhere… Hundreds of people infected with… with something. I don't know how to explain it. They were fast and strong, we barely got away. I was babysitting my brothers at the time and Narcer and I just grabbed them, got in the car and drove off. I can't count how many people there were. They were all bitten and infected with _something _but I don't know what. I can't explain it, it was so…"

"Zombies." Murdock concluded with a smile and a nod. Face rolled his eyes.

"Murdock don't start this again." He sighed.

"I think he might be right," Liz said, "it's the only conclusion I can come to."

Hannibal watched the three of them for a moment before unfolding his arms.

"You three better stay with us for the time being. If it _is _zombies then we'll work better in a bigger number. You look like you can hold yourself pretty well, Narcer." Naturally, the Colonel took charge but it didn't look like it was going down too well with Narcer. Who was he to take orders from somebody he'd never met before?

"We don't need to stay here Liz, we got by pretty well on our own." He said before glancing over at the team's van, "maybe we'll take your pretty little van and get goin' again."

B.A. had been inside the room listening to the conversation, but as soon as he heard that someone was going to take his van he pushed his way outside, squaring up to Narcer immediately.

"Touch my van and I'll rip you in half," he threatened. Hannibal, Face and Murdock looked amused. Narcer may have been a big guy but B.A. looked like he'd easily take him out in a fight. Narcer flicked his cigarette on the floor and rubbed his lips together in thought before nodding.

"Alright, yeah. We'll stay with you for now."

Liz looked relieved and kissed the top of her brother's head.

"Thank you so much."

"Don't mention it, but if anyone touches that van I won't stop B.A. from doing whatever he just planned in his head." Hannibal walked into the room, leaving the others to get acquainted with each other. There was something about Narcer that he just couldn't put his finger on. The team didn't play well with slimeballs and he looked like the dictionary definition of one. He'd have to keep a closer eye on supplies from now on, as well as the dynamic. If everyone didn't get along he wouldn't hesitate to cut the baggage loose. Hannibal's team came before anything and they were in it together. Nobody was going to get hurt because of tempers, especially if the infected came back.

The Colonel chuckled as he collapsed back on the bed, shaking his head. Zombies… Infected… It sounded like a bad science fiction movie but it could very well be his reality. They just had to wait and see.


	4. Chapter 4, Secrets

**A/N: Here we go, chapter 4! Thank you so much for the reviews so far - they're the things that keep me going writing this! I promise things will start to get very interesting very soon. As always, reviews are welcomed and appreciated. Hope you enjoy the chapter! :)**

Chapter 4: Secrets

So far everyone had been getting on civilly. Jack had remained quiet, even when B.A. tried to talk to him. He didn't touch his food or make eye contact. It was clear he was haunted by something that had happened. All four men knew there was something they weren't telling them. Liz and Narcer got snappy with each other and one night they'd had an argument about someone called Danny.

"Do you trust them, Colonel?" Murdock asked, lying on the bed on his back, staring up at the swirls on the ceiling. Face and B.A. were currently taking watch.

"Who? Liz, Narcer and Jack?"

Murdock nodded, "yeah."

There was a long pause before Hannibal spoke again, "I think they've seen something they're not telling us, but, if you've watched your neighbours ripping each other apart you're going to get a bit edgy."

"You reckon they trust us?"

"They don't have a lot of choice. I think Liz does but there's something about him that's making me keep an eye on him."

Murdock nodded in agreement, sitting up on his elbows so he could look at his CO.

"Faceman said the same thing; B.A. too." Then he shrugged and continued, lying back down again, "could be a normal guy who's just seen too much horror – like some guys at the VA."

"If that's the case then he should _be _in a psych ward and not protecting a woman and a kid."

Meanwhile, Face leaned on the wall and sighed heavily. This watch thing was getting tedious – there hadn't been one 'zombie' in sight. How were they supposed to believe Liz when she said her entire neighbourhood had been ripped apart by them when the only one they'd seen was Kate? A shiver ran down his spine and he shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts of how he'd shot her when she crashed the door down.

B.A. had been quiet ever since he'd tried to contact his mother again. No answer usually meant bad news, especially if this zombie thing was true. Face watched his friend for a long moment before asking him if he was okay. He nodded once, distracted by his own thoughts.

"She'll be fine," Face dared to say.

"Yeah, probably somewhere where she can't reach a phone. Survivors camp or somethin'," B.A. agreed but Face wasn't sure if the man was trying to convince him or himself of that idea. Mrs. Baracus was a tough woman who knew how to handle herself and probably had a good idea about how to fight off zombies too.

The talking from one of the rooms got louder and turned to shouting, and Face knew that it wasn't from their room. He shifted against the wall and watched as the room door opened and slammed shut again, Liz walking off on her own out to the road. There was a loud crash from inside the room and Face glanced at B.A. before pushing himself up from against the wall.

"I'll go talk to her," he said. It wasn't safe for somebody to walk off on their own at night. God knows what might be out there.

B.A. said he'd keep watch by himself and let Face follow Liz out to the road. Fortunately she hadn't walked off too far, only sitting down on the curb of the pavement.

"Hey." Face offered a smile as he sat down next to her but she just sniffed and wiped her eyes, obviously crying. He didn't have anything to offer to wipe her eyes on which was unfortunate, so he sat with her until she was ready to talk; _if _she was ready to talk.

"I swear if we weren't in the middle of being attacked by zombies I'd be shot of that man," Liz finally said, letting out a shaky breath and looking at Face. He said nothing and waited for her to elaborate, "At first I thought it would be good to be travelling with him, you know? He'd protect me and my brothers but…"

Liz bit back a quiet sob and Face put his arm around her shoulder to comfort her.

"What happened, Liz?" He asked quietly.

There was a long pause before she spoke again, leaning into Face's body.

"We were hiding out in a shop a few days before we found you guys. It was night time and we decided if we needed to go to the toilet we'd go in pairs a-and… Narcer, he was on watch so Danny got up to go. Danny was my other brother… We always said we could only really go if we were desperate and Narcer didn't believe he was… So he let him go on his own. It was only round the corner but he must have wondered off… I was asleep at the time and I got woken up to the sound of crying and Narcer was shouting at Danny. Saying he was stupid and should have waited until the morning – until it was _safe…" _

Liz's voice trailed off and she started to cry again, her face in her hands. You didn't need to be a genius to figure out what had happened; Liz had only introduced her brother Jack.

"Danny had been bitten and called out. Narcer killed the zombie – cut off his head – but… Danny… He was just a kid. He was only ten and he'd been _bitten _and he was bleeding and I… Narcer killed him – right there in front of us. He killed my little brother in front of me and Jack and said that there was no other way."

This time when Liz had stopped talking, Face pulled her into a proper hug and held her for a long time. So that's what they had been arguing about – mentioning somebody called Danny… That was why Jack had looked so haunted. It made him grateful he only had Hannibal, Murdock and B.A. to worry about and even then each man could hold their own. This had just been an innocent ten year old.

Liz pulled herself away from Face's grip and wiped her eyes, sniffing again as she tried to compose herself.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't put this on you," she said, rubbing Face's arm affectionately, grateful for his comfort. It was the only real thing she'd had since the outbreak.

"You don't have to apologise." Face shook his head and brushed Liz's hair from her face, "you have every right to be upset right now. I know I would be." And that God he didn't have a reason to be upset. He was angry at what Narcer had done, though. From the way she had spoken it sounded like she didn't even get a chance to say goodbye to her brother. If he had been in that situation, Face knew he'd want to say a proper goodbye before any serious action took place.

"Thank you," Liz said quietly, "thank you for listening to me. Things have been difficult with Jack because of what happened to Danny. Narcer doesn't seem to care about it."

"He might do. He might feel guilty about what he did… About not giving you a chance to say goodbye to your brother?" Face suggested but Liz laughed bitterly and shook her head, tears streaming down her face again.

"You don't know Ben Narcer as well as I do. If I thought he felt remorse for what he did I wouldn't be out here talking to you…. But I'm glad I am." She smiled weakly and looked down at the floor.

Somewhere during their conversation, they'd gotten closer together and Face only noticed now because they weren't talking anymore. Her hand was still on his arm and his own hand was resting against her face, his fingers stroking her skin lightly.

"You're a good guy, Face."

A good guy? Face wasn't sure about that, given the thoughts that were running through his mind but he smiled anyway, not caring as Liz got even closer to him and soon, before he knew what was really happening, she had closed the gap between them completely, her lips against his own. He hesitated for a short moment before kissing her back, his hand moving to cup her chin, noting how her grip on his arm tightened slightly.

Liz pulled back from the kiss, her eyes wide in horror at what she'd just done. Face glanced over his shoulder at where B.A. was and smiled when he saw the other man wasn't looking in their direction. Murdock and Hannibal were still in the room and Narcer hadn't bothered to look for his girlfriend either. Face figured they were safe enough from watchful eyes.

"I'm so sorry," she said, hand going to cover her mouth but Face moved it out the way and kissed her again. Liz was an attractive woman, there was no denying that, and the conman had a weakness for attractive women. He was about to go in for another kiss when a loud call of 'Liz!' broke the bubble of their little world. She stood quickly, brushing herself down before smiling at Face.

"Thank you," Liz smiled properly for the first time and the conman nodded as he returned the smile. She hurried off, over to her boyfriend and dared to glance over her shoulder at Face before she went inside the room, the door closing behind her.

Face sighed heavily and looked up at the stars in the sky.

"Oh boy…" He muttered to himself, "what did I just get myself into?"


	5. Chapter 5, Misfortune

**A/N: This is a long one! Thank you so much for the reviews so far, they mean a lot. :) I'm not going to say anything on this one apart from I'm so, so sorry. Also, reviews are appreciated as usual!**

Chapter 5: Misfortune.

Face told the team about Danny the next day over breakfast and B.A. did nothing but glare from a distance the rest of the morning. He knew that if he went near him he'd knock him into next week for killing a kid despite the fact that he was bitten. Hannibal and Murdock kept their distance too, even as Face talked to Liz and Murdock explained the wonders of flying to Jack, who seemed more interested in the floor than anything else.

"We're running low on supplies, Hannibal," Face said as he checked the cupboards they'd stocked up in the kitchen at the back of the motel. It was a small, shoddy little kitchen but the stove just about worked still so they were able to get some half decent meals out of the place.

"What have we got left?" The Colonel asked with his hands on his hips.

"A couple of tins of beans, a few eggs and half a box of cereal. Milk goes off today and the bread's stale." Face ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"Then we'll have to make another trip to the store, but this time a group of us will go. Jack's a boy so he won't be going. Liz is too emotionally unstable right now from what you've told us. I'm not trusting Narcer with one person while the other three of us go and get food and we need more than two people out there," Hannibal said, chewing on the end of his unlit cigar.

"So I guess you're saying two of us have to go with Narcer to get food."

"Afraid to, Lieutenant." Hannibal put his hand on Face's shoulder and gave him a smile. The conman groaned and pulled a face, shaking his head. He knew what the smile meant.

"No, Hannibal you can't be serious? Me go with Narcer? He could rip me in half." Especially if he found out that Face had kissed Liz last night. He hadn't mentioned that bit to the team and he didn't intend to do so either. The last thing everyone needed was some drama going on and they would talk about it; if they talked about it Narcer would over hear and he'd have a bullet in his brain before he could even apologise.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The electricity was shut off completely when they got in the store and Face made a mental note of the exits just in case anything came out at them and thy needed to make a quick escape. It shouldn't be such a hard job: get the food and leave – in and out, completely simple. Narcer was quiet the entire time, his expression as sour as it always was. Face and Murdock stuck together, the conman muttering about how he couldn't believe Hannibal had sent them off together with Narcer when he knew his history. Sure the boys could handle sticky situations but zombies plus Narcer equals disaster. Still, they had to deal with the situation that had been handed to them. Not to mention Murdock had decided it was a good idea to bring Billy along for the trip.

"What are we lookin' for again?" Murdock asked. Face rolled his eyes as he pushed the shopping trolley, grabbing some tinned fruit from the shelves.

"I don't know, Murdock I didn't make a list. We just need to grab what we can and get out before anything comes along."

The pilot nodded and walked on ahead a bit. Narcer swaggered down one of the other aisle completely uninterested with helping to collect food. He grabbed a few things for himself but that was it. Face noticed how empty his trolley was and huffed loudly, but said nothing. He didn't want to cause an argument.

Just as they were getting to the frozen section, they noticed another person bending over one of the freezers. Murdock put his arm out, stopping the trolley and Face yelled in protest.

"Shhh!" Murdock hissed, standing completely still.

"Murdock what are you—?"

"It's a _zombie_!" He emphasized zombie and glared at Face, "now do you believe me?!"

Face hesitated for a moment. He didn't want to admit that he was wrong because this whole 'zombies' theory was still ludicrous to him.

"I don't know, Murdock it could be anybody bent over. Could be another person we can have tag along with us." The conman resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he tried to push the trolley. Once again, Murdock stopped him.

"Would you listen to yourself?!" The pilot was done with Face thinking that this wasn't serious, "did you hear what Liz said about Danny or were you too busy checkin' out somethin' else? These are zombies, Face! Real, dead things that eat people and right now I'm thinkin' that I'm not the crazy one!"

"He's right." A voice sprung up behind them and they both jumped, not expecting Narcer to be listening in to their conversation, "and whatever it was Liz told you about Danny probably wasn't the truth anyways. Now let's kill this son of a bitch an' get back to the motel."

Narcer pushed past the boys and aimed his gun at the zombie just as it stood up. It was attracted to noise and it seemed they were all making too much of that. He didn't hesitate to shoot it right through the head, his accuracy surprising both Face and Murdock, who exchanged a glance and took a step backwards away from the other man.

"An' that's how we deal with bitches like that," Narcer said with a cocky grin, looking over his shoulder at the other two. Face laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head. Was that how Narcer 'dealt' with Danny? The thought made him sick to his stomach, the reality of their situation finally sinking in.

Murdock scowled as Narcer walked off from them acting like he hadn't just blown a zombie's head off its shoulders.

"Let's just… get back to doin' the shoppin'…" He muttered to Face and took control of the trolley, quickly grabbing whatever tins he could find and shoving them in.

He turned round the corner of the shelves and bumped straight into the back of Narcer. Murdock yelped as the trolley smacked against his hipbones, scowling once again.

"Are you gonna move or what?!" He peered around Narcer and as soon as he saw _why _the man had stopped he felt his stomach and throat tighten.

"What's the matter now?" Face sighed as he came around the corner himself, halting his tracks as he saw the zombies throwing themselves against the store's warehouse doors that were jarred shut.

"That's what the matter is," Narcer finally said, gripping his gun tightly, anticipating the doors finally giving way to the weight. There had to be at least ten of them behind the doors, they could see them through the tiny glass window.

"Maybe we should get out of here instead of just standing around?" Face suggested, looking between Murdock and Narcer for some kind of reply. He didn't receive one.

The doors gave one final, loud groan before they burst open and the three men scrambled backwards, Murdock shoving the trolley into the infected before making a run for it. Narcer shot at them over his shoulder, apparently not so accurate when he was running for his life. Face and Murdock were slightly ahead, making their way for the exit; all thoughts about scrounging food were now gone. They just needed to get out.

They turned another corner, finally gaining some distance from the zombies when the gunshots stopped and Murdock looked over his shoulder. Narcer had run out of bullets, now fighting off the zombies with a piece of broken wood he found on the floor.

"Face, find something to barricade the door with!" Murdock said quickly as he ran to pick up another piece of broken wood from one of the stands in the corner. Fortunately there were only a few zombies left and it was nothing the two of them couldn't handle… Until the wood broke and they faced the final three completely unarmed.

"Come on, we have to get out of here!" Face called from the front as he dragged a table using for sampling across the double doors they'd entered through. He grabbed whatever he could find and stacked that on top, leaving just enough room for Narcer and Murdock to squeeze through. The pilot turned back, reaching out for his dog when he felt a strong hand on his shoulder yanking him back away from the doors as they were forced closed.

"Billy!" He protested loudly, Narcer not caring who Billy was as he pushed his weight against the doors so the zombies couldn't get out.

Murdock began to panic and tried to push the bigger man out of the way, shouting about Billy who was still inside the building, trapped with the zombies.

"Billy! Move out of the way, Billy's still in there!" He tried to force him away again but Narcer pushed back and the pilot stumbled, tripping over his own feet and crumbling to the ground. It was too late now – his poor dog didn't stand a chance against three zombies. Face crouched down to his level and put a hand on his friend's shoulder but he didn't say anything – what could he say? If the dog was real he'd still not know what to say, but he knew he should be angry with what Narcer did. Billy was precious to Murdock, he was his dog, real or not; and now he truly believed that he'd been eaten by zombies because Narcer wouldn't let him get him out. Of course, the other man just saw it as saving somebody's life because he didn't know about Billy.

There was no time for Face to grieve with his friend; the hinges on the doors were getting weaker with each push, the zombies once again not giving up in their fight. A few wooden chairs lay abandoned half way across the car park and the conman sprinted, kicking the legs off and slamming them against the floor before hurrying back, handing a couple of pieces of the wood to Narcer. He didn't give any to Murdock, leaving him to mourn on the floor behind them. He'd help him just as soon as he'd saved their lives.

The tables halted the zombies' movements when the doors opened, just giving Face and Narcer time to bash the wood into the zombies' heads, stopping them finally, the bodies sprawled over the tables and obstacles Face had put in the way.

For a long moment there was quiet, the only things heard were the harsh breathing of Face and Narcer, and the muffled crying coming from behind them. Face looked over his shoulder and sighed deeply. Murdock was on his knees, his face pressed into his hands, fingers gripping his hair tightly. It didn't take a genius to know how upset he was.

"What's he cryin' about? Never had a rush like that before?" Narcer commented, folding his arms with an eyebrow raised as he looked at Murdock. The pilot felt a surge of anger course through his veins and he stood up, fists clenched.

"You killed my dog!" He shouted, adrenaline making him strong enough to knock Narcer to the ground, knocking the wind out of him. Face didn't know what happened until it was too late; Murdock's fists pounding into Narcer, calling him every word under the sun.

"You killed my dog!" He repeated furiously, not sure if he was crying because he was upset or because he was angry, "Billy was in there with us an' you killed him just like you killed your girlfriend's brother!"

"Murdock!" Face grabbed the pilot and forced him off Narcer who sat up, nursing a bleeding nose.

"Who the hell is Billy?!" Narcer shouted, pushing himself to his feet looking just about ready to break Murdock's neck.

"My dog! He was my dog and you KILLED HIM!"

"Murdock be quiet for a minute!" Face couldn't think, and he was sure the noise the pilot was making would attract even more zombies.

"There isn't a dog!" Narcer replied in confusion, still looking angry.

"Well of course there isn't now! You killed him!" There was no way Face was going to be able to shut Murdock up, not after this. Keeping him around Narcer wasn't wise at all. Keeping his grip on his friend, Face looked at the other man as calmly as he could.

"The motel's not too far from here. Can you walk back and ask Hannibal and B.A. to come to us? You can get your nose looked at at the same time."

Narcer gave the boys one last glance before walking off down the road without another word, one of the pieces of wood still in his hands.

"Face, he killed Billy…" Murdock whispered with horror in his eyes.

"I know, Murock… I know."


	6. Chapter 6, Divides

**A/N: Here it is finally! Sorry this took so long, I had to take a quick break after writing c5, and with illness and moving back home things have been hectic. Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews so far - they mean a lot, and they are much appreciated. :)**

Chapter 6: Divides

"What's going on here, Lieutenant?" Hannibal's voice snapped Murdock out of his trance and he finally lifted his head, his neck stiff from being in the same position for so long. The Colonel had his hands on his hips as he waited for an answer. The pilot didn't move as Face pulled Hannibal and B.A. away from him to talk in private.

"We got jumped by some zombies." Face started, finally believing what Murdock and Liz had been saying all this time, "Now don't give me that look, Colonel, we really were. The bodies are over by the doors if you don't believe me."

"Are you telling me we're all the way over here so you can tell me that you were attacked by zombies?" Hannibal asked, his arms across his chest.

"No. Murdock brought Billy along too." Face ignored B.A.'s groan at the mention of the invisible dog and continued, "We were getting out of the doors and Murdock went to pick Billy up and Narcer pulled him back and closed the doors. Billy was still inside with the zombies and Murdock says he was killed."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Liz attended to Narcer's bleeding nose as he sat on the edge of the bed looking more than displeased.

"Why are you all banged up anyway?" She finally asked, breaking the silence.

"I got into a fight with one of them." Liz frowned at Narcer's answer and he frowned back, his tone sharp, "not the blonde one that you're so fond of." He knew that Liz and Face spent a lot of time together, especially after he'd seen them sitting together after they had fought once. Narcer also knew that there was an attraction between them which was why he'd been keeping a close eye on Face. He didn't trust Face as much as the man didn't trust him. At least it was a mutual distrust.

"Those four are the only people the three of us have. We're on the same side, Ben. We have to all work together."

Liz didn't want to fight with them because she knew that the three of them needed them. With Narcer only really looking out for himself, it was up to Liz to take care of Jack.

"How come you got in a fight?" She added quietly, putting the bloody tissues in the bin and sitting next to her boyfriend.

"Crazy idiot said I killed him damn dog but there wasn't one there to begin with. Liz, we don't need those guys to survive. We did well just us." Narcer took her hands and tucked some of her hair behind her ear, smiling softly. It was rare that Liz saw him like this so she took the rare moment happily, refusing to argue with him.

"I know but don't you think it's good? At least Jack can be safer with more people to protect him. Not like…" She trailed off and bit her lip, looking down at her lap. A sigh left Narcer's lips.

"Baby you know it was the right thing to do." He wiped a tear from Liz's cheek as she nodded gently.

"Where is that sucker?! I'm gonna rip his head from the rest of his body!" The room door was ripped open and Liz shot up from the bed in fright as B.A. hurled himself towards Narcer, grabbing his shirt tightly in his hand and shoving him hard up against the wall.

"What the hell, man!" Narcer yelled, but B.A. just shoved him again, winding him in the process.

"You upset my friend! No one gets to upset my friend, even if you killed somethin' that isn't really there! It's real to him and now you killed it. And you upset him. So now you're going to apologise!"

Face and Hannibal stood in the doorway after having put a very fragile and upset Murdock in the other room. He was hardly talking at all, just mumbling to himself about how Billy would have liked this and Billy would have liked that. It concerned all three of them, especially given the pilot's state of mind.

"There wasn't a damn dog there anyway!" Narcer protested. B.A. growled low in his throat and said nothing, still pinning him up against the wall.

"We know there's no dog there but Murdock believes that there is – or rather, was." Hannibal explained to them about Murdock being in the VA and that Billy was simply just a hallucination but that just seemed to annoy Narcer more rather than make him understand. As always, Liz could sympathise why he would be upset.

"You're gonna say sorry." B.A. ordered and Narcer just laughed, shaking his head.

"Say sorry for killin' a dog that didn't exist apart from in a crazy man's mind?"

"Yes!"

Narcer laughed again in B.A.'s face and he growled once more, deciding that he'd had enough of the games. His hand curled into a fist and he delivered a swift right hook to Narcer's face before letting him go and dropping him to the floor as he clutched his jaw and swore loudly. Liz covered her mouth and said nothing. It was clear that she was conflicted; on one hand these guys had just punched her boyfriend… But her boyfriend had been acting awfully. All Narcer had done in their company was embarrass her. She exchanged glances with Face, took one last look at Narcer on the floor before she pushed past Hannibal and went outside.

"You better say sorry or you'll have more than just my fist on your face," B.A. warned before leaving too, prompting Hannibal and Face to follow.

"Are you okay?" Hannibal asked when they were outside, watching as Liz wiped her eyes and stood alarmingly close to Face. He frowned ever so slightly, hoping that what he was seeing wasn't what he was thinking. If Face got involved with her they'd have more problems than Murdock's dog dying; they'd have an _actual _death on their hands.

"I'm so sorry about him," Liz said with a sniff, practically leaning into Face now.

"Here, why don't we go and get you cleaned up in another room. I'm sure there are some fresh tissues somewhere around this place," Face smiled and put his arm around her. Hannibal gave him a warning look but the lieutenant brushed it off and guided Liz to another motel room where they had been keeping more supplies.

Once Liz was sat on the bed, Face handed her a box of tissues from the bedside table and she took them, giving him a grateful smile.

"You always deal with me when I'm like this." Liz wiped her eyes and her nose, not crying anymore. Face smoothed her hair from her face as he sat down next to her and gave her a charming smile.

"I don't always," he said quietly, his fingers trailing up and down her arm lazily. He closed the gap between them, pressing his lips against hers firmly and she held tightly onto his arm, her fingers gripping the material of his shirt. Face kissed her again and again, and Liz happily reciprocated, her hands sliding up into his blond locks. They were so involved in their kiss that they didn't even notice the door opening behind them until they heard a familiar voice.

"Whoops!" Murdock stared for a moment before laughing nervously, Face and Liz pulling apart in horror.

"Maybe I should come back later." The pilot gave them both a look before leaving the room. Face got up and followed him quickly, leaving Liz to her own thoughts. They'd just been caught… _now what? _

"Murdock!" Face caught Murdock's arm and pulled him towards him, not loosening his hold on the pilot, "you can't tell anybody."

"Face, the team expected it. This is _you _remember? Jus' hope that Narcer doesn't find out." At least knowing about Face and Liz would give him something to think about instead of just thinking about Billy. Oh his poor little dog…

"You can't tell _anybody _what you saw," Face said, "please? As my best friend…"

The pilot smiled and put his hand on Face's shoulder, "don't worry, Muchacho, your secret is safe with me. Hannibal said it's your turn to keep watch with him."

Face knew that meant they'd be having a conversation about his relationship with Liz. Hannibal could see right through the lieutenant most of the time and there was no doubt he already knew about the two of them, just like Murdock had said.

The conman nodded and smiled.

"Thanks Murdock." Face let go of his arm and walked down the pathway to join Hannibal for the night's watch.


	7. Chapter 7, Uneasy Feelings

**A/N: This is a shorter chapter than the others, sorry for that. And, once again, thank you for all the wonderful reviews so far! :)**

Chapter 7: Uneasy Feelings.

"The closer you get to her, the more you put yourself in danger, Lieutenant," Hannibal scolded the moment that Face sat down in the seat next to him. They were both on watch because B.A. still hadn't heard from his mother and Murdock was in no state of mind to concentrate on sitting still. He'd be better sleeping until the next day when he could make as much noise as he possibly could. Face had noticed how down he seemed when he had spoken to him and it was no surprise really.

"What are you talking about?" The conman replied, shifting in the seat to get comfortable.

"I'm talking about your relationship with Liz. Don't try and pull the wool over my eyes, Face, I know how you're starting to feel about her and she looks at you like you're a knight in shining armour ready to whisk her away from Narcer."

Face smiled at Hannibal's comment, liking the image that his Colonel had put into his head. Hannibal frowned.

"Face," he warned, but the blond just waved his hand and shook his head.

"Hannibal, don't worry about it. I've got it all under control – trust me. I know what I'm doing."

Hannibal didn't look convinced, "You say that Face but I don't think you understand what Narcer can be like. If he finds out you've been fooling around with his girlfriend you'll end up like Danny: dead."

The Colonel could sympathise with Face for the most part; they'd been in the same place for too long and Liz was the only woman. Any man would start to get a little restless, especially a man like Face. He was used to female attention all of the time, it was only natural that he'd start gaining an interest in Liz. She was attractive and despite being taken, seemed interested in him too. Still, Hannibal didn't like it. He could sense something bad happening soon and it put him on edge.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The team sat around the small fire Hannibal had started, drinking, chatting and for the first time in a while, genuinely smiling. They had received a phone call from B.A.'s mom earlier, telling him that she was safe and sound in a camp and had only just been able to reach a phone because they'd had difficulty with the power. She had also told them that there were camps set up all over the USA and the team had made the decision to go to one as soon as they could. It was the safest place for them to go, especially because they had Liz and Jack to think about too. For once, it seemed like something was looking up.

Murdock seemed to have cheered up a little bit, but sometimes the team still found him staring into space or muttering to himself as he curled in a ball. They all agreed to keep an eye on him but for the most part he seemed relatively okay (at least he was around them, anyway). Liz, Narcer and Jack had yet to wake up so they boys just enjoyed the little time they had together just as a team.

Hannibal noticed that Face wasn't as distracted as he had been either, especially after the talk they'd had. He'd told Face that it wasn't wise to get involved with Liz because doing that would be like having a death wish because she was Narcer's girlfriend. They'd already 'buried' Billy during the week; the Colonel didn't want to properly bury somebody. Of course, Face just smiled and assured Hannibal that he knew what he was doing and that everything would be okay. He didn't know whether Face was telling the truth but he tried not to think too much about it. Hannibal trusted his judgement.

"You know we could get outta here a lot faster than drivin'," Murdock piped up, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen a few moments ago. Sometimes the pilot had to talk to keep his mind busy.

"Like how?" Hannibal asked.

"I saw a chopper at a news station a few miles out from here. We could always just fly to one of them camps." He saw B.A.'s glare and gave him a weak smile, "well, B.A. and some others could drive there an' then meet the rest of us at the camp."

"I don't know, Murdock," Face started, looking between the three other men who were waiting for an explanation as to why, "I mean, splitting up into groups… That means one of us would have to go with Narcer, Liz and Jack because they're not going to want to be separated."

"Seems like the best thing to do, Hannibal," B.A. said, looking over his shoulder at the room the others were sleeping in, "Jack doesn't feel safe bein' around here."

Hannibal hummed in agreement as he pulled out a cigar and chewed the end absently, "Probably doesn't feel safe around Narcer either."

"Does anybody?" Face scoffed lightly, shaking his head.

"Hannibal, you got a plan?" Murdock asked.

The Colonel smiled and nodded his head, "B.A. and I will go in the van with Narcer – keep an eye on him. Face, you and Murdock take the chopper with Liz and Jack and we'll rendezvous at the nearest camp."

They exchanged glances but didn't question their CO's plan; it was a lot better than just sitting around at the motel forever. Maybe if they went to a camp they'd have more of an understanding about what was going on other than 'zombies arrived one day'. It still didn't put them at ease. They didn't know how any other town or city was coping with the zombies. Things could be a lot worse wherever they were going. They may be The A-Team but they'd never dealt with anything like zombies before.

"Do you think the others will like it?" Face said. He wondered when they'd wake up so they could tell them what was going to happen.

"Does it matter?" Hannibal replied, "They either come with us or stay on their own here."

"I'd prefer for them to stay with us."

"And we all know why," Murdock smirked playfully at Face who rolled his eyes. Although he had never brought up what he'd seen in the motel room, the pilot still hinted at knowing and it got on Face's nerves a lot. If he wasn't careful, Narcer would catch onto the hinting and then they'd all be screwed.


	8. Chapter 8, Findings

**A/N: Sorry this has taken so long to get up! Thank you for all of your reviews so far (:**

Chapter 8: Findings.

The day started off unusually quiet. Since losing Billy, Murdock's incessant chatter had ceased and had left a giant hole behind. It had been a week since the loss of the invisible dog but everyone was still feeling the effects. Face didn't know what was more traumatizing – how upset Murdock had been and watching his friend lose control with his anger towards Narcer, or the fact that they had been chased by zombies and everything he'd been put off believing had been confirmed as the truth. The conman knew they should all hold a grudge against Narcer for upsetting Murdock so much (after all, Billy was a huge part of his life), but the man did save their pilot's life and he hadn't been thanked for it. Perhaps one day Face would thank him for helping his best friend.

Liz and Face sat next to each other outside, taking watch together. It was still early for people to be awake (even for Hannibal). Face had just told Liz about Hannibal's plan and she seemed more than delighted. The thought of being safe again after feeling like you were going to die so many times was amazing; imagining a hot shower, decent food and a better place to sleep at night was also so very welcoming.

"Maybe once we get there I can get rid of Narcer and…" she trailed her hand up Face's arm with a smile, "and then we'd be able to have what we want. I talk to Jack about you sometimes… I tell him about how nice you are – about how you want to protect us; how all of you want to protect us."

Face kissed her for a long moment, "we won't let him hurt either of you. I promise –"

One of the doors crashed open and gunshots filled the once quiet parking lot. Liz and Face shot up from their seats but before he knew it, the conman was being pushed backwards, a fist meeting his jaw swiftly causing him to stumble and fall to the ground. A pair of knees pressed on his chest, pinning him to the ground, and he felt the all-too familiar coolness of a gun barrel pressed against his forehead.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't blow your brains out," Narcer snarled and Face stared up at him in horror, not sure what to say. The other guys ran outside after the gunshots but didn't approach when they saw the gun against Face's head. They didn't want to prompt Narcer into pulling the trigger.

"Narcer, please!" Liz said, "Don't hurt him."

"You'd like that wouldn't you Liz? Your precious little friend here not getting hurt. I saw you… I've been watching you for days now; getting friendly with my girlfriend – _my girlfriend! _Not yours. What gives you the right to kiss her, hm? What gives you the _right_?!" Narcer pushed more of his weight down onto Face's chest and he struggled to get free, but with no luck. He was a big guy.

"Nobody even think about coming near me or I'll blow his brains out and finish the lot of you off," Narcer threatened.

"I can explain…" Face started, but the weight on his chest only made him cough and struggle. Clearly the other man didn't want an explanation.

"Let him go, Narcer."

_Hannibal's voice, _Face thought, _thank God. Hannibal has a plan. _

"Let him go and we'll leave our separate ways. You can take the van –"

"Hannibal!" There was B.A.'s protest for _that _plan.

"You can take the van and get out of here – you, Liz and Jack – if you let him go without hurting him."

"Ben, _please,_" Liz pleaded again, taking a step forward. Narcer pressed the gun harder against Face's forehead.

"I said don't come near me!" He shouted.

"Let him go, Narcer." Hannibal's tone was more demanding this time. Face's heart was pounding in his chest and he was sure that if he opened his mouth he'd vomit in fear. This was scarier than any zombie he'd ever face. Narcer pulled the hammer back and placed his finger on the trigger. One wrong move would cost Face his life.

"No!"

A pair of arms wrapped around Narcer as they jumped on him, pulling him away from Face. More gunshots brought on by a struggle. Split-second silence as Face sat up, staring at the scene before him.

Jack held onto his shoulder tightly, blood staining his small palm. Liz screamed and ran towards him, scooping him up in her arms. Hannibal moved quickly, knocking Narcer out easily and removing the gun from his hand. There was a noise in the distance.

"Jack… Oh, God, Jack…" Liz whispered, her own hands covered in her younger brother's blood.

"He needs a hospital, Hannibal," B.A. said, standing next to Liz. The Colonel nodded. It looked like they were going to be moving sooner than they thought. A plan came to mind. The noise was getting closer.

"Zombies," Murdock whispered, his next sentence louder, "the gunshot attracted the zombies. We gotta get out of here now."

"Please, you have to help him!" Liz begged, not letting go of her brother.

"Murdock, you and Face take Liz and Jack to the nearest hospital in the chopper. B.A. and I will take this slimeball with us and keep an eye on him. When you're done at the hospital meet us at the nearest refugee camp," Hannibal commanded and the boys nodded.

"We better hurry," Murdock said to his group and Face took Jack gently from Liz so he could carry him. They needed to move quickly before the zombies came. Hannibal and B.A. had no problem dragging Narcer to the van. He'd regain consciousness soon.

"Be careful, guys," Hannibal said and Murdock nodded.

"We will, Colonel."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The zombies were fast on their tail but they'd managed to make it to the chopper in time to take off without any further damage to their party. Once they were safely in the air, Murdock let out a deep breath, finally relaxing.

"How's he doing?" The pilot asked with a quick glance over his shoulder. Liz had Jack on her lap and she rocked him gently, humming a soothing song in his ear. She pressed her jacket against his wound to try and stop the bleeding. Murdock couldn't imagine what she was going through. After all, she'd already lost one brother; if she lost Jack she'd have nobody.

"He's alive but losing blood fast. You gotta get us to a hospital soon, Murdock," Face replied, moving to sit up in the co-pilot's seat. He remembered all the times he'd sit up front with Murdock when they were being chased by the MPs or by other bad guys and right then, he knew he'd be willing to face every single one of them instead of the army of zombies that were out there.


	9. Chapter 9, The Hospital

**A/N: We're nearing the end of this fic now I think, and I'm very sad about it! Thank you to all of the wonderful reviews I've received, they mean so much. :)**

Chapter 9, The Hospital.

"How much longer are you going to be?!" Liz called from the back of the chopper. Murdock looked behind him at the paling child in her arms and took a deep breath. He was trying to find somewhere safe for them; he wasn't taking his time on purpose. The pilot understood the emergency because he'd seen so many like it before in 'Nam. He also understood why Liz was acting the way she was; anybody would be like that if their loved one was dying. Murdock just hoped he could get them somewhere safely before that happened because he didn't think Liz would be able to forgive anybody.

After a quick aerial sweep of the hospital grounds, Murdock landed the helicopter on the landing pad on the roof.

"You know the noise from the chopper probably attracted their attention, right?" Face looked at Murdock and the pilot nodded in response, knowing that they didn't have much time at all. They had to get in and get out as soon as possible; if they could, they'd treat Jack on the way to the camp.

"This bringin' back any memories?" Murdock asked as he jumped out onto the pad, Liz behind him and Face behind her. The conman nodded.

"Too many."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The others had managed to get away fairly quickly, the zombies no match for B.A.'s driving. Soon enough they were on the open road, swerving between a few abandoned cars and trying their best to ignore a couple of dead bodies on the ground. The whole thing was truly horrific but sadly it wasn't like they'd seen it before.

Hannibal glanced at Narcer as he stirred and groaned, rubbing his head as he woke up. He glared at the man who'd endangered his friends.

"Where are we?" Narcer asked quietly, leaning back on the seat.

"Going to a refugee camp," Hannibal replied with a sharp tone, his glare not fading at all, "and believe me, we didn't want to take you along for the ride."

"Where's Liz? And Jack?"

"Do you care Narcer?"

"Of course I do!" He spat, "what kind of question is that?!"

"You shot your girlfriend's brother. You killed her other brother. It's gonna take a lot more to convince me you care about anybody but yourself." Hannibal's glare didn't fade, not even when Narcer growled and sat up in his seat. The Colonel was far from intimidated.

"Listen, pal," Hannibal continued, "I don't like this as much as you. I don't like leaving my men to take care of your mess. Now I appreciate that you saved Murdock's life but you could have got us all killed with your stupidity. You knew the gunshots would attract the zombies. If my men get injured because of you, you better hope you can run faster than a bullet because if not, you'll have plenty of holes in you when I'm done."

It wasn't often that Hannibal threatened anybody seriously; he could laugh and make a joke about knocking somebody into next week (or at least _say _it in a way that made it seem like he was joking) but when his men's lives were on the line it was far from funny.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

It had been hard to ignore the sound of the zombies on the bottom floor as the four of them raced through the corridors on the third. When they weren't alerted, the zombies moved quite slow, so it gave them an opportunity to get Jack treated before anything else bad happened.

Murdock was doing his best to clean the wound and stitch Jack back up again whilst Face watched for any zombies. Liz stayed right by her brother's side and held his hand, telling him that everything was going to be okay.

"I think I did ok for the moment…" Murdock muttered, standing back to admire the work. Well he wasn't exactly a doctor but his medical knowledge managed to stop the bleeding and stitch Jack up well enough for them to go again.

"We can get it looked at properly when we're at the camp," Face said, sticking his head through the door, "we should move out before they know we're here."

"I saw a few down the corridor just as we got here," Liz muttered, picking Jack back up in her arms to carry him. He was still weak and could whisper a few words but the medical attention he'd receive at the camp would be better than what the boys could offer.

Murdock picked his gun up off the table and put his finger on the trigger, ready for anything. A gun probably wasn't the best idea but he figured if one of them knew they were there then all of them would eventually.

They stepped out of the room, Face at the front, Liz in the middle and Murdock taking the back. He looked over his shoulder at the zombies and shuddered… Those things ate Billy. He could still hear his poor dog's whines as Narcer pulled him back out of the supermarket. The pilot clenched his jaw.

"Murdock, come on!" Face called. The three of them were over at the stairs and Murdock was half way down the corridor. He must have zoned out. Just as he snapped out of his thoughts about Billy, the zombies down the corridor stopped what they were doing for a long moment, staring at the four of them.

"Murdock hurry up!"

The zombies stared to run towards them, attracted by Face's voice. They were faster than the pilot remembered.

"Go!" he shouted, running towards them. Face and Liz ran through the doors and started sprinting up the stairs, Murdock not too far behind and the zombies getting too close for comfort. They were literally running for their lives now.

"Go, go, go!" Murdock yelled, stopping on the stairs to shoot one of the zombies in the head before running again. Better to get rid of them now than have to fight them on the way to the chopper, right?

He stopped and shot another in the shoulder, turning to run once again but tripping on the stairs, the zombie's hand tightly wrapped around his ankle. The pilot cursed loudly as it pulled him down and he felt pain rip through his leg and his behind as he was dragged further down the concrete stairs but he kicked the zombie in the face and shot its arm, getting free from the grip before emptying a bullet into the other one.

The noise had attracted the others and he could hear them running up the stairs towards them… getting closer… Murdock pulled himself to his feet and stumbled up a flight of stairs and crashed through the fire exit on the roof, falling into Face.

"Murdock! I thought we'd lost you," he breathed, pausing for a moment when he heard the zombies coming. He glanced down at the floor and felt his heart stop at the pilot's bleeding leg, "Murdock… Is that…?"

"It's fine, let's keep goin'," Murdock muttered, wrapping an arm around Face for help and they managed to both get in the chopper before the army of zombies got to them.

Once they were safely up in the air again, the pilot leaned back in his seat and let out a deep breath. This time, he wasn't so relaxed. He knew what had happened and he knew what fate he was going to face now but the others… They didn't have to know… did they? Face sat next to him and remained silent for a long moment before speaking quietly.

"Murdock… were you..?"

The Captain turned to look at his best friend and he gave him a weak smile, shaking his head.

"Nah," he lied, feeling himself getting weak and short of breath already, "jus' a scratch, tha's all…"

He wished to God that it was just a scratch, but it wasn't, and sooner or later he'd be a danger to his friends. He just hoped that he could land them safely before then.


	10. Chapter 10, Billy

**A/N: Sorry this took so long to post!**

Chapter 10: Billy.

Face felt sick; he knew that wasn't just a scratch on Murdock's leg and he knew that the pilot knew that too. It quickly became the elephant in the room (well, chopper) and Face resisted the urge to fidget awkwardly. How was he meant to go about mentioning the bite to his best friend? Maybe it wasn't a bite, maybe it was just a really deep cut. He could be hopeful, right? He glanced at the pilot and sighed quietly. Murdock didn't look good at all.

"Murdock maybe we should get to the ground… You don't look like you should be flying," Face said quietly, but what good would landing do? Then they'd all be in danger.

"Nah," the pilot replied, not tearing his eyes from straight ahead, a total look of concentration on his face, "not long now 'til we get there. We'll be fine."

"Are you sure you'll be fine?" Face spoke before he could stop himself. Murdock frowned and turned his head to look at his friend. He was pale and he had started to sweat. It was clear to Face that Murdock was in pain but he was pushing through it like he always did.

"Don't worry 'bout me, Muchacho." The pilot gave him a small smile before turning back to face the front. Face didn't buy it at all.

An hour passed by slowly and Murdock wondered just how long this transformation took. Narcer had killed Liz's brother pretty quickly but Kate looked like she'd been suffering for at least a few hours. He suppressed a shudder and dared to glance at Face sitting next to him. Murdock felt bad that he didn't tell Face the truth but he guessed that he knew what was happening. He felt bad that he was disappointing the whole team; he'd promised that they would be careful and he ended up getting bitten.

Murdock couldn't help but feel responsible.

Face looked even more concerned than he did when he first found out that Murdock had been bitten. He was trying to occupy his mind by sitting with Liz and watching over Jack whilst she slept but he couldn't help the occasional glance to the pilot's legs. He wasn't bleeding as much as before and Face could just about make out the bite mark through his torn trousers. Face felt sick again.

"Face." The conman heard Murdock say so he quickly moved back up next to him; he didn't look good at all, "I'm jus' gonna land for a minute… Gotta take a break 'cos my head's all funny…"

"When isn't your head funny?" Face tried joke and force a smile but the way Murdock looked just put him right on the edge. It wouldn't take much more for him to fall completely off the cliff.

The conman went back to wake Liz up and tell her they were landing and soon enough they were on the floor again, Murdock stumbling out of the chopper. He managed to make his way over to the nearest tree before he fell to the floor, his breathing heavy and uneven. Liz looked at Face as they both got out, leaving Jack asleep on the seats still.

"Is he okay?" She asked, and Face slowly shook his head, not looking at his friend because he couldn't bear to see him like he was.

"He got bitten…" His voice trailed off as his eyes went to the floor. Liz was silent for a moment so Face continued, "How long will it take…?"

"It varies with the person," she shrugged, speaking quietly, "sometimes it can take a couple of days but it'll get painful – at least that's what Narcer says… Sometimes it goes quicker."

"Have you got any of that water left from when we treated Jack's wound?" Face asked and Liz nodded, going back to get it for him.

"There are some bandages too…" She handed the supplies to Face who smiled gratefully and walked over to Murdock by the tree. He was still so pale, his eyes sunken and dark but he still smiled when he saw his friend.

"Hey, Muchacho."

Face crouched down next to Murdock and wet one of the bandages, pressing it against his forehead.

"How are you feeling?"

The pilot laughed and shrugged, "you know me, Faceman, I'm always fine." He received a serious look and stopped smiling. Face swore for a moment he saw a glimpse of fear cross Murdock's face. It disappeared quicker than it came, and the conman didn't know whether to praise or reprimand the pilot for being brave and not breaking down.

"We all gotta die sometime…" Murdock muttered, looking up at Face. He stopped what he was doing and put the bandage down.

"You're not going to die, Murdock."

"I know that," Murdock chuckled, "I'm gonna turn into one of them an' then none of you are safe."

"No you're not. Maybe we can just cut your leg off or something to stop it spreading. And then you'll be fine again."

"Face you're not gonna con me into believin' you no matter what you say." Murdock paused to breathe for a long moment, "you saw what happened to Kate… you heard what happened to Danny…"

"Murdock shut up." Face had to stop himself from snapping at him but his tone was still sharp. He didn't want to hear his best friend tell him that he was going to die because it didn't feel right. This was _Murdock. _The man got shot at, beaten and crashed planes and helicopters and still managed to survive so why was it _now _that whoever was in control of the universe decided it was time for him to go? That wasn't _fair_! None of this was fair! If he hadn't have been messing around with Liz in the first place, Narcer wouldn't have found out and Jack wouldn't have been shot; Murdock would have been perfectly safe and fine and 100 per cent alive.

Face was about to speak again when there was a rustling in the bushes and he froze. If there was a zombie ready to come out he would've been bitten too and then Murdock wouldn't have to worry about being a danger. He didn't even have a weapon with him. A dog scampered out of the bushes, looking a little too thin and dirty but happy enough to see human life. Murdock grinned bigger and brighter than he had done since he lost –

"Billy!" Murdock stroked the dog with enthusiasm, his arrival giving him a new burst of energy. Face looked at him for a long moment.

"You just ran off you didn't really die!"

"Murdock…"

"Face look! Face, Billy's _alive_!"

"Murdock there's actually a real dog there," Face told him, confusion clear in his voice.

"I know that. He's been here all along like I've always said." Murdock went back to his old self for a few minutes, stroking the stray dog, calling him Billy and loving the fact that his dog was actually alive. He'd have to apologise to Narcer for accusing him of killing him.

"No, Murdock," Face sighed quickly, "there's really a dog there. I can see him… He's not invisible."

"Great, then we can go show B.A. that Billy's actually a real dog – like I've been sayin' this whole time."

The dog barked happily and ran over to Liz for some love too, and Face turned to his friend, the situation turning back to serious, much to his displeasure.

"Well, you can go an' show B.A. that I wasn't lyin' about Billy, can't you Face?"

"No. You can tell him yourself. This is what we're going to do, Murdock: we're going to get to this camp and they can figure out a cure to stop you from turning into… into one of _them _and then you'll be fine. You can rub it into B.A. all you like that Billy really isn't invisible and we'll go back to normal and fight the bad guys again." Face didn't know who he was trying to convince anymore and he swallowed hard when Murdock shook his head.

"No, Face I ain't goin' anywhere now."

"I'm not leaving you behind, Captain."

"You got no choice. And, as I'm technically a higher rank than you, you gotta listen to me. I'm orderin' you to leave me here and take Liz, Jack and Billy to the camp. It's not far from here, you should be able to find it with the map in the chopper…" the pilot paused as he looked up at his friend and smiled, "it's been good fun hasn't it?"

Face couldn't say anything; he had a lump in his throat and his mouth was dry. He wanted to be sick and he wanted to cry. They weren't supposed to leave a man behind. What was he going to say to the other two?

"Face you gotta do this. It's the only way."

"And leave you here on your own to turn into one of them?"

Murdock smiled sadly and held up the gun he'd had by the side of him.

"You can't, Murdock…"

"Better than turnin' into a monster. Trust me on this one, Face."

Face could feel his eyes sting but he refused to cry in front of Murdock, so he nodded once and stood up, giving him a salute which was returned with a brave smile. It only broke his heart and churned his stomach more. His throat felt like it was on fire as he held back any indication of sadness. All he felt was respect for his friend.

"Seeya on the other side, Muchacho."

The conman quickly leaned back down and he hugged Murdock long and hard, not wanting to let go. If he could, he would have sucked all of the badness out of him and kept it for himself.

"I wish you didn't have to do this," Face muttered before pulling back and standing up, straightening himself out.

"Me too. Now go before anythin' goes wrong an' take care of yourself 'kay?"

Murdock watched as he walked over to Liz who picked Jack up out of the chopper and cradled him in her arms. He looked down at Billy by Face's legs and smiled, waving at the four of them. Face stared and Murdock nodded. It was okay for them to walk off… It was all going to be okay.

As he watched his friends walk out of sight, Murdock let out a shuddering breath, gasping, the tears he'd been holding back escaping now and falling down his cheeks. The gun felt heavy in his sweating hand. He swallowed hard. He pressed the gun against his head.

"Oh, Lord, please give me strength," Murdock whispered, took in a quick breath and pulled the trigger.


	11. Chapter 11, Survival

**A/N: I couldn't sleep because I just had to write this out and ease you all of your pain and suffering. :P Enjoy**!

Chapter 11: Survival.

He opened his eyes. It was dark. He wasn't sure how long he'd been lying there but from what he could tell he was still in complete control of his mind and his body (well, as much of his mind as was possible for someone who lived in a psychiatric ward). Murdock let out a deep breath, the gun still tightly gripped in his hand. He didn't know whether it was bravery or cowardice that had stopped him from shooting himself in the head; all he knew was that he was still completely human. There were no odd cravings for human flesh like he'd thought there would be. His leg still ached and he was definitely burning up from infection but he was _alive. _Maybe with a bit of luck he'd be able to catch up to Face and the others and make it to the camp with them.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Face didn't know how to feel. He was numb inside. It felt like somebody had ripped his heart out and stamped on it right in front of his eyes. He couldn't cry. He couldn't speak. Nothing was said as he walked along the road, Liz behind him carrying Jack, and Billy the dog down by his feet. The moonlight guided them along the quiet highway. He'd silently promised Murdock that he'd look after the damn dog and show B.A. that he was real. Face knew he wasn't really Billy, but he'd cling to any memory of Murdock that he could.

"Maybe we should take a break?" Liz suggested but Face ignored her and carried on walking. Even his legs were numb. He had to get to the camp – he had to find his friends and see a familiar face. He felt so alone.

"Face, please listen to me…"

"Why should I?" He suddenly snapped, stopping in his tracks and spinning to look at the woman who had caused all of this. Face knew he shouldn't thrust all of the blame onto her because they were all responsible but he was so angry and it was so easy to do it that he just vented hurtful words.

"Why should I listen to you? If you hadn't showed up, if you hadn't been arguing with Narcer and came and sat by me if _you_…! This is your fault. Murdock's dead because of everything that happened and it's _your _fault!"

Liz blinked hard and stared at him, saying nothing. She held Jack tighter to her and walked on. She didn't need that crap from Face when she had an injured brother to take care of.

"You aren't the only one who's lost somebody," Liz said, looking over her shoulder and walking on some more, taking the lead. Face stayed where he was until he'd calmed down. It didn't take long and he furiously wiped his eyes and jogged to catch up with her. He didn't apologise, still obviously furious.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Murdock was thankful for the bandages that Face had left on the floor. His leg was wrapped up in them as well as possible, his shaky hands and foggy head not exactly helping but it was better than nothing. The pilot quickly finished off the rest of the water in the bottle and pulled himself to his feet.

Stumbling towards the chopper, Murdock dragged himself inside and dug around in a few compartments, looking for anything he could use to help. Face had taken the map but he could remember most of the directions to the camp. The radio would be no use – he didn't know the signals and he was too far away to reach anybody he knew anyway. There was a torch and a few sugar sweets lying around which he grabbed. His stomach rumbled with hunger and for a moment he allowed himself to imagine what life would be like when they reached the camp… Hot food, a nice comfortable bed, a warm shower; it made him smile and just for a second Murdock felt comfortable.

But he couldn't allow himself to get caught up in his mind because this was a serious mission. He had to get to that camp and he had to keep himself grounded and focused so he didn't even think about turning into one of them. Everything still felt okay – he still wasn't craving any kind of strange foods and he didn't feel violent at all. In fact, he felt calmer than he had done in a while. There was a goal to work towards and Murdock was determined to reach it no matter what stood in his way; bitten leg be damned. He'd cut it off and crawl to the camp if he had to.

It wasn't wise to travel on your own in the dark but he had to reach Face before he got too far away and he wouldn't make time if he waited until morning.


	12. Chapter 12, Broken Silence

**A/N: Sorry this took so long to write, I've hit a giant wall of writer's block recently.**

Chapter 12: Broken Silence.

"I wonder how the others are getting' on," B.A. said, finally breaking the silence. Hannibal didn't reply, looking out of the window as the scenery sped past. He couldn't believe any of this had happened – not too long ago they were still ordinary fugitives only having to fight the MP's and other bad guys, and having fun whilst doing it. Now? They were on the run from everybody and, as Narcer proved, you couldn't trust anybody.

"I've got a bad feeling about all this, B.A.," Hannibal finally replied, taking his chin off his palm and looking over at B.A. Narcer was sitting quietly in the b ack, not saying a word. He'd been quiet since Hannibal had threatened him, and whilst the Colonel was glad the man wasn't saying anything stupid, the longer the silence in the van, the more his mind wandered to other things. He'd thought of all the worst case scenarios for the others, especially because of how they were travelling. The noise of the chopper must have attracted some zombies; if gunshots were loud enough, then choppers definitely would be.

"We just gotta make sure we get there."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Murdock had been walking for so long his feet were numb, but he knew he had to keep on going. He had to find Face and the others before it was too late. Now he wished he'd never told him to go away. He was no longer bleeding, and the wound looked like it was healing slowly. He was still pale and sweaty, and it was very obvious that he was ill.

The sun was rising and he knew he'd been walking all night. He didn't know where Face was, he had no idea where he was going either because the others had taken the map. Murdock sighed and stopped walking, sitting down by the side of the road with a pained expression. Despite not bleeding anymore, his leg still hurt and when he ran his fingers over it he could feel the bump of scabs and knew that it would eventually scar.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"You okay?" A small voice from behind Face made him turn, and he smiled slightly when he saw Jack awake. Face had been keeping watch all night whilst the other two slept. He was glad that Jack was talking again because the silence had concerned him.

"Yeah I'm alright," Face lied, watching Jack sit down on the log next to him. The kid picked up the long stick by Face's feet and prodded the dying embers of last night's fire.

"No you're not, but that's okay." Jack looked to his side at Face and the conman saw the look on his face; the look that said that he understood what he was going through. Jack had lost his brother and Face had lost Murdock who was like a brother. The team felt like Face's family because he'd never had one, and to lose a member of that family hurt more than words could say. Face wasn't used to not being okay.

"You're right." He admitted, "I'm not okay but I gotta get on with it. It's not like we've not lost men before… We have but…"

"He was family?"

"Sort of. He felt like family and now there's a hole. I've never felt that before." Face felt quite lucky that because he never knew his parents, he wouldn't have to see them die – he wouldn't have to see any of his family die because he was an orphan. It wasn't until he said goodbye to Murdock that he realised just how hard it was to lose somebody.

Face looked over at Billy and sighed. The dog may not have actually belonged to Murdock but it still felt like there was a huge part of the pilot with him.

"Face do you think it'll take a long time for us to get to the camp?" Jack asked, prodding the fire again.

"I think it'll take a few more days if we don't stop a lot… And of course it depends on how many… On how many of those things get in our way." He looked at Jack and gave him a small smile, putting his hand on his back. He had to reassure the kid that everything was going to be okay. There were more important things to think about than Billy reminding him of Murdock.

"We'll get there, Jack, don't worry. I won't let anything hurt you."

Getting to the camp on foot was going to be a pain but he'd walked plenty in 'Nam so what was another long hike?

It must have been horrible for Jack, who nodded and stood up, making his way back to Liz who was just waking up.

"We should get moving soon," Face said quietly, and Liz nodded with a yawn and a long stretch. He felt like he should apologise for how he spoke to her yesterday but he didn't know how to; he had been angry and upset over Murdock. Was there any point? Liz would understand wouldn't she? Face sighed and rose to his feet too, gathering up most of their things. His stomach rumbled but he ignored the feeling, making a reminder in his head to try and find some food eventually.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Is he alive…?"

"I dunno. He doesn't look too good but I think I can see his chest moving."

"What if he turns into a zombie? Look at that bite on his leg…

"Oh gross…."

Murdock could hear two voices talking over him but he felt too tired and too weak to even bother to open his eyes. He tried to groan and roll over, feeling uncomfortable on his back.

"I think he's alive, you know."

"Hey, are you alright?"

The pilot felt someone prod him lightly, and his eyes opened slightly before closing again. He didn't feel good at all. Murdock groaned and found enough energy to open his eyes.

"Boy you really must not be well…" The one said and helped Murdock sit up, the other crouching down by his side, feeling his forehead.

"He feels okay."

"Jus'… tired," Murdock said quietly, "Gotta find my friends…."

"I don't think you'll be going anywhere just yet. Open your mouth, have some water."

The pilot felt the plastic rim of a bottle against his lips and parted them, swallowing what he could of the water that was being tipped gently into his mouth.

"I think you're gonna have to tag along with us for a while; just until you feel better."

Murdock didn't know why he trusted these two strangers but he felt like they genuinely wanted to help him. At least there were still some nice people alive.


End file.
